Prof Charles Marfo, a former Provost of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), has warned Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the NPP flagbearer, against replacing Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, popularly known as NAPO, with Dr Ayew Afriyie as his running mate.
According to Prof Charles Marfo, should Bawumia drop NAPO for Ayew Afriyie, he should forget the presidency.
He argued that Dr Bawumia dropping NAPO for Dr Ayew Afriyie would be a mistake,
Speaking on Oyerepa Radio, Prof Marfo stated, “People are saying that NAPO has an interest in becoming Bawumia’s competitor in 2032 as a flagbearer if they do not win the 2028 elections.
As a result, he does not stand a chance of becoming his running mate. This is just hearsay; I do not have any evidence”.
Despite the unverified claims, Prof Marfo advised Bawumia to retain NAPO, warning against selecting Dr Ayew Afriyie as his replacement.
“I hope Dr Bawumia will not make the mistake of changing Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh (NAPO). Even if he wants to change, he should go for a third person, but with Dr Ayew, he should just forget about the presidency,” he stated.
Prof Charles Marfo’s comments follow speculation that NAPO could have presidential ambitions of his own and might seek to challenge Bawumia for the New Patriotic Party’s flagbearership in 2032 if the party does not win the 2028 elections.
Meanwhile, NAPO, the 2024 running mate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has said he will never contest for the NPP flagbearer position as long as Dr Mahamudu Bawumia contests.
Napo, as he is commonly referred to, highlighted that no one matches Dr Mahamudu’s wisdom, experience, and ideas to lead Ghana within the NPP.
Speaking on Oyerpa FM, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh explained, “His (Dr Bryan Acheampong) first time of being a Cabinet minister was four years ago; he came to meet us. Also, Dr Adutwum’s first time as a Cabinet minister was four years ago. I, Matthew Opoku Prempeh, have served Cabinet for seven years.
I have worked with all of them at Cabinet, and nobody comes anywhere near Dr Bawumia. To the extent that I decided not to contest for the presidency if Dr Mahamudu Bawumia is contesting”.
According to Napo, some person contesting for the NPP flagnearership during their time in Cabinet did not produce a single memo for Cabinet to consider.
Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh added, “Because we are looking for somebody with wisdom among us to lead, as this is governance, nobody comes near. Some of them sat at the Cabinet and never brought a single memo”.
Meanwhile, some NPP Members of Parliament have endorsed the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) 2024 running mate, Matthew Opoku Prempeh, commonly known as NAPO, to be maintained as running mate in the 2028 elections.
Following the State of the Nation Address on Friday, February 27, 2026, Napo was spotted exchanging pleasantries with dignitaries in Parliament shortly after he attempted to leave Parliament. Some NPP MPs gathered around him.
The NPP MPs were heard chanting “Yɛ pɛ NAPO, NAPO na yɛ pɛ” which translates as We want Napo, Napo is the one we want”.
Nana Ayeh Asafo-Adjei, the Member of Parliament for Bosome Freho and the Member of Parliament for Old Tafo, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, along with other colleagues.
Other MP’s were also heard shouting, “No change, we want NAPO.”
@ghnow_ Ghanaian musician Efya is traditionally marrying her partner, Tomi, in a ceremony currently underway. #GHNow #fyp ♬ original sound – 🫒OLIVETHEBOY💚
@ghnow_ Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Hon. Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has arrived at Efya and Tomi’s traditional marriage ceremony. #GHNow #fyp ♬ Efya-Am in Luv with U – Sarkodie
